20,000 Farms Enrolled in NYS Animal Id System

Commissioner Applauds Participation Which will Help State Protect Livestock

New York State Agriculture Commissioner Patrick Hooker today announced that more than 20,000 New York farms have enrolled in the New York State Animal Health Identification System, a program that will help protect the State’s livestock industry in the event of an emergency.

"This accomplishment is an important milestone in protecting all of agriculture in New York State," the Commissioner said. "With roughly 80 percent of the State’s livestock premises identified and enrolled in the New York State Animal Health Identification System, we will be able to improve our response to an emergency animal disease outbreak and thus better protect New York’s farm businesses from financial ruin. I want to thank those producers who through their participation will help safeguard this industry."

The New York Animal Health Information System provides producers and animal health officials with the infrastructure needed to not only respond to animal disease outbreaks, but also improves disease eradication and control efforts, reduces the impact of possible deliberate disease introductions, and helps protect the State’s animal health certification status.

Animal identification is also useful in non-disease emergencies, such as floods, ice storms or fires. Possessing key information about farms and livestock owners in advance of an emergency helps authorities to direct appropriate resources, and saves valuable time that can result in the life or death an animal.

New York State Veterinarian Dr. John Huntley said, "I am very pleased with the continued producer support and participation in our Animal Health Information System. The cooperation and action exhibited by the 20,000 enrolled livestock producers demonstrates a commitment to animal health and contributes to the State’s level of preparedness, ensuring that any necessary response can occur quickly and appropriately. I am proud to work with such a progressive agricultural community."

The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets has a long and successful history of preventing, controlling, and eradicating diseases of animal health and public health significance. Examples of successful disease control efforts include the elimination of equine infectious anemia in horses, eradication of brucellosis and tuberculosis in cattle and deer populations, eradication of chronic wasting disease in captive deer populations, elimination of low pathogenic avian influenza in poultry, as well as others. No major disease control effort has been successful in the absence of an animal identification system.

The New York State Animal Health Identification System is a state-owned and state-maintained program, and serves as the framework for the early detection, recognition, response and recovery efforts necessary to manage animal diseases and other animal health threats.

To enroll in the New York State Animal Health Identification System, please visit http://www.agriculture.ny.gov/NAIS/nais.html and complete the Premise Registration Form. The only information required to register is the livestock owner’s name, 911 address, phone number, operation type, species of animals, and a rough ocuntcount of each species. There is no cost to enroll, and all information is kept confidential.

The Department will be hosting educational seminars throughout the State this fall. To request a copy of dates and locations or for more information regarding the New York State Animal Health Identification System or animal identification issues in general, visit the Department’s website or call 1-800-554-4501.